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8 Jun 2010

Fantastic Figs

There is nothing nicer than a fresh, organic, wonderfully sweet fig. Sadly they are not available all year round, so the next best option are dried figs. Figs are very nutritious, great for your health, and can be added to both sweet and savoury dishes.

Figs are the fruit of the Ficus tree, which is a member of the Mulberry family. They can be traced thousands of years ago to Egypt and later to Greece and Rome where they were held in high esteem. Spanish missionaries introduced them to the Americas. Figs come in many varieties and colours, like the pale green/yellow Calimyma with amber flesh, the dark purple Mission with pink flesh and the green Adriatic with tan flesh.

They are a very healthy fruit to add to your five-a-day, whether they are fresh or dried. They are a good source of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, iron, vitamin B6 and calcium. Figs are low in sodium but high in fruit sugars. Internally figs' potassium helps to control blood pressure, their fiber content is a good weight management aid and also relieves constipation, their calcium helps to promote good bone density and drinking fig juice helps to soothe irritated bronchial passages.. Externally the juice of green figs is said to soften corns, reduce skin pigmentation, and relieve many other skin problems. Fig leaves are said to help diabetic patients reduce their amount of insulin intake.

Fresh Figs are very perishable so only purchase what you intend eating in a few days. Store figs in the fridge. They can also be frozen. Freeze individually then store in a plastic container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Freezing will change the texture and the figs will be much softer when thawed, but will still be very tasty. Some people like to dehydrate any excess figs rather than buy commercially dried figs. If buying commercially dried figs, look for those that are organic, sun-dried, and which have no added sulphites.

Figs are in season in the North at the moment, so those lucky enough to see them in your local shops, pop a few in your basket and enjoy a very tasty treat.

In a food processor, place the figs, pecans, raisins, and cinnamon, and process for 1 minute to combine. Add the peanut butter and pulse a few times to combine. Using your hands, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls, and then roll the balls in the finely chopped peanuts. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2 Dozen

Remove the very tip of the fig stems and quarter the figs. Juice the oranges. Combine the quartered figs, orange juice, and rose water in a blender, and whizz until smooth. Taste, and add a little more rose water if desired. Serves 2

13 comments:

Those nutty fig bits are delicious...I made them for Christmas one year. Fresh figs are my favourite, but do you remember those fig bars they sold? I'm not sure if they still sell them, but when I was young those were my favourite bar!

Fresh figs are amazing. There are many Italian immigrants here in Philly, and when they came here, many of them bought row homes and immediately planted a fig tree in the tiny back yards. So many houses in South Philly come with their very own fig trees!